Sam spent a lot of time living — and a lot of time drinking — in isolation.
“It was just a steady, nonstop stream of alcohol. I was getting plastered, and I didn’t want to be seen.” Then a case of acute pancreatitis landed him in the hospital.
“I was stuck in a hospital bed for all my family to see,” he said. “I couldn’t run or hide. That was my moment of desperation. I had no excuse
anymore.”
As Sam started looking for help, the hospital staff recommended Guiding Light. What he saw online — a long-term, faith-based program with an emphasis on mental, spiritual and physical health — surprised him.
He was in for even bigger surprises when he applied.
“I found out it wasn’t guaranteed to me. I had to go through the interview, and they grilled me pretty hard about why I was there. I wasn’t owed anything during my time at Guiding Light. I noticed right off the bat they weren’t going to coddle me.”
Nor were they going to let him go through recovery alone. Instead of his old life of isolation, Sam had joined a supportive community with a willingness to change.
“Guiding Light really gets down deep to why you might see yourself as a pessimist who can’t look forward to anything. Everybody has their own story, but we all have this common goal, a common pain, and a common enemy to fight.”
After graduating and moving into Guiding Light’s sober living community for men, Iron House, Sam now focuses on staying connected to his new community. He serves as a sponsor to a client midway through the recovery program, and he attends support group meetings and events at Guiding Light.
At the Recovery Program’s Thanksgiving family event, he played violin accompanied by another client on piano — a big moment for a multi-instrumentalist who started playing at age 7. “I can barely explain how happy that was for me, to pick up something I’ve always loved. Just knowing that’s something I didn’t lose to alcoholism is another spiritual experience.”
That sense of gratitude extends to the life he has now. He’s healthy and energetic again, looking forward to long-term goals, reconnected with family, and no longer isolated.
“I had a really good upbringing,” he said. “I really don’t have many excuses for why I let alcohol get its hold on me as badly as it did. All things considered, I was extremely lucky in the way it went down. I firmly believe God had a hand in it and that I’m still here thriving for a reason. And without Guiding Light, it would not have been possible.”
